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Dare to Dream in Color: 2017 Best in Network Winner

April 17, 2017

Brette Woessner

Each year, New Tech Network gives the Best in Network award to a project that exemplifies the goal of successfully combining active exploration, application, authenticity and academic rigor. New Tech Network is proud to announce that Lindsey Risner, Lorien Goodwin and Courtney Young from Washington Discovery Academy are the 2017 Best in Network award winners for their project: Dare to Dream in Color.

This year the project submission pool was particularly impressive with excellent projects submitted in varied subject areas and at all grade levels, reflecting our K-12 network of schools.

The 2017 winners and students are invited to attend the New Tech Annual Conference in July for special sessions and a chance to present their project at the opening session.

We would like to thank the BIN committee members who thoughtfully reviewed every submission:

The committee’s praise of the Dare to Dream in Color project included the following commentary:

“I could not stop thinking about the learning experience these 3rd graders have during this project. The idea that they wrote persuasive writing at this age is beyond amazing! The students have so many learning experiences from graphing for math, designing for video and print, training for physical fitness, science for the color powder…and the list goes on. The authentic community members coming in offered these students a wide range of careers and opportunities within their community. Projects like this make me strive to be a better facilitator and to address the 6 A’s to the best possible way.”

“As a high school teacher, I am floored at the level of academic rigor in this elementary project. It’s an authentic, cross-curricular project that addresses a variety of standards, the School Wide Learning Outcomes, and addresses the 6As.”

“This project has so many authentic components! I like how you clearly reached far and wide to involve a variety of experts throughout the learning. I also appreciated how students started by assessing their “smart strengths” – what a great way to get students to reflect on themselves, as well as to consider the strengths of their peers (showing how we’re all different)!”

Congratulations Lindsey, Lorien and Courtney! We are impressed and inspired by your hard work and can’t wait to see you at NTAC!